heavy packin

[rjjones]

When i was young and could not afford to go lite,i didn't need to.Now i'm old and can afford to go lite,thank god,because i need to.What i do is put a value on items.Is this weight worth carrying!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Well, the less you carry the fresher you'll feel at the end of the day, in my opinion.

A couple of suggestions for weight loss:

Ditch the shovel!

You can usually get by with a quite small penknife. No need for anything more.

Look into alternatives for canned food. You can buy tuna in packets. Try some ramen noodles - cheap and good on the trail.

Think about your water. If you are hiking near a river, and have a filter, you probably don't need more than a liter or so, if the weather is cool. If it's hot, and water isn't a sure thing, then obviously you'll need a few liters.

Best of luck!

I thought the same thing regarding the tuna until I actually weighed the empty pouch and can. The difference in weight is only a few grams. Add that the cans can often be found with pull tops, and I always carry a P-38 anyway. Cans are considerably cheaper. There is a difference in the tuna. Some like the dryer pouched tuna, but if you are trying to maximize calories per ounce carried, the oil packed stuff in a can is a better more efficient food. Plus you can make stoves and mouse trapezes out of the empties (or stomp them flat and carry them out).

[Connie]

The oil-packed can is better, also more flavor remains in the tuna.

Maybe it could be repackaged with a vacuum packager: they have 1-quart bags.

Maybe I could do that with alder smoked salmon. I love alder-smoked salmon outdoors.

edit: that green line of text at the bottom of my post is a link to my not recently updated website. The front page has a selected YouTube video you might like.

[4eyedbuzzard]

The oil-packed can is better, also more flavor remains in the tuna.

Maybe it could be repackaged with a vacuum packager: they have 1-quart bags.

Maybe I could do that with alder smoked salmon. I love alder-smoked salmon outdoors.

I doubt it is worth the trouble of repackaging already packaged tuna. The newer cans are extremely thin walled and light. I doubt the heavy plastic vacuum packaging bags are significantly lighter if at all. Once you open a can or pouch, you introduce bacteria, mold spores etc. into the equation. So after repackaging you would have to heat it and hold it in a hot water bath (and know exactly how hot and long) to kill off any pathogens, which would further cook the tuna as well, possibly adversely affecting taste and texture. Just not worth the hassle or possibility of food poisoning IMO.

[Hangfire]

Tuna is messy and it stinks. I noticed last year that tuna consumption dropped off considerably after Harpers Ferry. Be ready to start eating a lot of summer sausage, it's heavy and it takes up a lot of room, it will work perfect for you!

[Connie]

Right, it wouldn't work for a long hike. Overnight, repackaged at home.

I was thinking about the cans: garbage.

[Slo-go'en]

I was thinking about the cans: garbage.

Before there were foil packets, we used cans and carried them out. A few seconds more work as you have to flatten them.

[Wokman]

Tuna is messy and it stinks. I noticed last year that tuna consumption dropped off considerably after Harpers Ferry. Be ready to start eating a lot of summer sausage, it's heavy and it takes up a lot of room, it will work perfect for you!

Yeah....about that it was in my pack next to the 20in pepperoni. I wish i was kidding.

[bigcranky]

I carried ~65 pounds when I first started backpacking. I was young, and then later I was taking a small child. I was so amazed when my total pack weight dropped below 50 pounds, and then below 40 - wow!

So sure, you can carry that much. For a weekend hike it's not that bad especially if you're bringing some cool camp things like chairs or a grill and some steaks. For a thru-hike, well, people have successfully thru'd with that much.

Sure, you can spend a lot of money on "ultralight" gear (some of which is even light!) but it's not hard to go very light without spending a ton of money.

[egilbe]

I'm using an old army external frame pack. I'm taking that is not a good option

An Alice pack? Oh god, ditch that thing. Its made to torture soldiers. Find a pack that fits you. Shoes and pack are two things you should cheap out on, in my opinion. Find one that fits you and can comfortably carry up to 35 pounds or so.

[DavidNH]

do a few weekend backpacks and find out what is too heavy and what is just right. no one here knows what the right pack weight for you is but you.

[egilbe]

An Alice pack? Oh god, ditch that thing. Its made to torture soldiers. Find a pack that fits you. Shoes and pack are two things you should cheap out on, in my opinion. Find one that fits you and can comfortably carry up to 35 pounds or so.

Should NOT cheap out on

Why doesn't this forum have an edit option?

[bemental]

Should NOT cheap out on

Why doesn't this forum have an edit option?

There's an edit feature, but you have to pay for it :-P

Just like having a custom avatar, another common feature on every other forum on this planet, you have to pay for to we as well.

I understand donations help keep the forums running, but don't nickel and dime us what are a akin to basic forum rights.

[bemental]

An Alice pack? Oh god, ditch that thing. Its made to torture soldiers. Find a pack that fits you. Shoes and pack are two things you should cheap out on, in my opinion. Find one that fits you and can comfortably carry up to 35 pounds or so.

ALICE packs are legit pack, but you're definitely paying for it in weight.

[bemental]

Yeah....about that it was in my pack next to the 20in pepperoni. I wish i was kidding.

I recently retired from the Marines wokman and was *incredibly* surprised at the improvements in gear over what we've been working with in the service.

Sure, some of it will cost you, but man does it beat heavy canvas and nonsense like that.

[Sarcasm the elf]

What's your pack weigh?

I'm newish. Is 40 to 70 to much?
I'm 6'1 165.
Just trying to see what other packs weigh.

Sorry if i missed it, but did you say what kind of backpacking you want to do? Do you want to start getting out for weekends? Are you planning a long distance hike? A thru hike?

If you are starting by getting out for the weekend, the there is no problem with a 40+lb pack. Jist go out and enjoy yourself. On my first week long trip I was lugging around 55lbs. It was a pain, but it got me to love backpacking, now I'm around 25lbs for the same trip, but that is 5 years later. My opinion is lighter is better, but heavy still works, no need to go spending money on new gear unless you think you really need it.

[wilsonnickp]

As far as price for lighter stuff, you can get a Gossamer Gear or GoLite pack really reasonably. And lighter sleeping pads as well.

[Deadeye]

I'm using an old army external frame pack. I'm taking that is not a good option

l depends. I use my circa 1969 Kelty, It's less than 5 pounds, still works fine, and is paid for!

[Deadeye]

Sorry, didn't see "Army" in there. Ditch Alice.

[Busky2]

I've done heavy and I've done light I like the light better and have paid for it but I found it worth it for me. In 1978 I carried over 50# on trail and thought I was just an average Joe. Now older and broken in a few places plus a bit tired I would never carry anywhere near that amount for fear or paralysis.